It is known that golf balls demonstrate a significant increase in travel distance when struck with a golf club when the golf ball is heated above 90.degree. F. In the warm climates this does not pose a problem, but in northern regions, golfers are increasingly golfing in the early spring and late autumn when ambient temperatures can be very low. To maintain a consistent game throughout the entire year, golfers in the northern regions have employed various golf ball heating devices.
The prior art discloses a number of golf ball heaters. Most of the heaters include containers for the golf balls in which the golf balls are subject to forced hot air. The containers are large, in order to encompass a plurality of golf balls and a heating unit which includes a blower or fan for circulation of the heat. With this type of heater, the size of the container necessarily requires using a golf cart for carrying the cumbersome container.
Another type of heating device for golf balls is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,011 issued on Aug. 11, 1992. This patent incorporates a chemical heating device inserted with the golf balls into a thermally insulated container. The container is a rigid body having apertures therethrough to provide admittance of ambient air for activation of the chemical heating device. A similar device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,362 issued on Oct. 8, 1985. This invention uses a commercial hand warmer that is placed within a sectional housing having apertures therethrough for admitting ambient air into the interior of the container to activate the warmer. In both of the aforementioned disclosures, the housing is rigid and solid requiring apertures to be placed therethrough to provide an access means for ambient air to the chemical warming device. The rigid constraints of the aforementioned containers do not allow for easy storage in a golf bag or on the golfer's person.